From Resistance Fighter to War Crimes Investigator: The Journey of Aryeh Orbach

This article examines the remarkable journey of Aryeh Orbach, from Holocaust survivor to Nazi crime investigator in Israel’s UINC (Unit for the Investigation of Nazi Crimes in the Israeli police). Through extensive archival research and personal testimonies, the study explores Orbach’s transformation from a resistance fighter in the Vilna ghetto and a survivor of the Estonian labor camps to a key investigator in postwar Nazi trials. The article particularly focuses on his pivotal role in the Majdanek-Düsseldorf trial (1975–1981), where his work proved instrumental in bringing Nazi perpetrators to justice. Drawing on previously unused archival materials, this research reveals how Holocaust survivors within UINC navigated the complex emotional terrain of investigating Nazi crimes while confronting their own traumatic past. The study contributes to our understanding of post-Holocaust justice and the unique role Holocaust survivors played in bringing Nazi criminals to trial.